An imperfect idea, what makes data big, grasping gamification and the economics of the cloud

The price of perfection. “Perfect never leads to new.” That’s what Jesse Stanchak, social media specialist, says is the paradoxical flaw in striving for perfection. “The pursuit of perfection may be noble, but if you’re ever unlucky enough to achieve it, then you’re stuck.” And when you’re stuck, you’re not iterating; you’re not innovating. You’re maintaining the status quo. And if your competitors are working on some less-than-perfect ideas, you could be in trouble. Check out Jesse’s take on the problems with perfection.

Big data decoded. What, exactly, is big data? According to the Power BI team, it’s the three V’s: volume, velocity and variety. Volume is the “big” in big data. And when we say big, we mean BIG: “Today, it would take over five years to watch the amount of video that crosses global networks every second.” Velocity is the speed with which data is flowing into your business (hint: it’s getting ever faster). The faster you can analyze and act on that data, the bigger your advantage. Variety refers to the many different forms data takes these days, much of it unstructured. “In fact, more than 80 percent of today’s data are unstructured … Mobile phones, online shopping, social networks, data sensors — all produce a daily tsunami of unstructured data, much of it holding information that could impact your business.” Learn more about the three V’s of big data here.

Get into gamification. Has your company embraced gamification? Effective gamification can help change behaviors in both your clients and your employees, says Burke Fewel, director, Partner Capability Development Management. “Humans are drawn to the dynamics of games — they satisfy our intrinsic needs, including desire for rewards, satisfaction, challenge, competition and status. Simply put, people like to win and be recognized for it.” One way some Microsoft partners are embracing gamification is in training users on new products and systems. “These efforts focus on the individual within a partner organization — giving you the option to play, learn and maybe receive rewards.” Read more on the ways Microsoft partners are embracing gamification.

Cloud as revenue-generator. Is your cloud strategy centered on saving money or on fueling revenue growth? James Staten, chief strategist, Cloud + Enterprise, says the majority of companies would say savings, but proper deployment of cloud technologies can actually help grow your revenue base. To be sure, “your organization must gain experience in the first stage to understand and start reaping the gains from the latter two, which are where savings turn into profits,” he says. His post explains how you can begin turning cost-saving cloud technology into a revenue-generating opportunity.

Business Roundup is a recurring collection of short takes on topics of interest to Business Matters readers. We compile the latest thinking from Microsoft and other industry experts to showcase how companies of all sizes are achieving efficiency, deploying innovative technology and becoming digital businesses.

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